Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

James Carabatsos (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

5 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | War

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway, career Marine and combat veteran. He is a man whose life has been defined by war. Korea and Vietnam taught him how to survive. He won the Congressional Medal of Honor but found public apathy and military bureaucracy. He is a hard-drinking loner but he's trying to reorganize his life and understand the woman he loves. He is a traditionalist who has to shape up his ragtag troops and he'll get the job done. His integrity is unwavering. His past is Heartbreak Ridge. He is ready for another battlefield and his finest hour. It will come.

Plot:

A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude.

Plot Keywords:

Ex Wife | Korean War | Military | Grenada | Veteran

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Sergeant Thomas Highway
Marsha Mason	...	Aggie
Everett McGill	...	Major Malcolm A. Powers
Moses Gunn	...	Staff Sergeant Webster
Eileen Heckart	...	Little Mary Jackson
Bo Svenson	...	Roy Jennings, Palace Bar Owner
Boyd Gaines	...	Lieutenant M.R. Ring
Mario Van Peebles	...	Corporal 'Stitch' Jones
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Sergeant Major Choozoo
Vincent Irizarry	...	Fragetti
Ramón Franco	...	Private Aponte (as Ramon Franco)
Tom Villard	...	Profile
Mike Gomez	...	Private Quinones
Rodney Hill	...	Private Collins
Peter Koch	...	'Swede' Johanson
Richard Venture	...	Colonel Meyers
Peter Jason	...	Major G.F. Devin
J.C. Quinn	...	Quartermaster Sergeant
Begonya Plaza	...	Private Aponte's Wife (as Begonia Plaza)
John Eames	...	Judge Zane
Thom Sharp	...	Emcee
John Gallagher	...	Emcee
John Hostetter	...	Officer Reese
Holly Shelton-Foy	...	Sarita Dwayne
Nicholas Worth	...	Jail Binger
Timothy Fall	...	Kid in Jail
Jon Pennell	...	Jail Crier
Trish Garland	...	Female Marine Officer
Dutch Mann	...	Bar Tough Guy
Darwyn Swalve	...	Bar Tough Guy
Christopher Michael	...	Marine (as Christopher Lee Michael)
Alex M. Bello	...	Marine
Steve Halsey	...	Bus Driver
John Sasse	...	Bus Driver
Rebecca Perle	...	Student in Shower
Annie O'Donnell	...	Telephone Operator
Elizabeth Ruscio	...	Waitress
Lloyd Nelson	...	Deputy
Sgt. Maj. John H. Brewer	...	Sergeant Major in Court
Michael Maurer	...	Bouncer in Bar
Tom Ellison	...	Marine Corporal
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Russell Appling	...	Dock Marine (uncredited)
Lazaro Ramos	...	Marine (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Carabatsos		written by
Joseph Stinson		uncredited

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Fritz Manes	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lennie Niehaus

Cinematography by
Jack N. Green

Film Editing by
Joel Cox

Production Design by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist (as Kathy Blondell)
E. Thomas Case	....	makeup artist (as Tom Case)

Production Management
Fritz Manes	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
L. Dean Jones Jr.	....	second assistant director
Michael Looney	....	second assistant director
Paul Moen	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Edward Aiona	....	property master
William J. Foley	....	lead man (as Bill Foley)
Kelly Hudson	....	stand-by painter
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Robert E. Sessa	....	set designer (as Robert Sessa)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Neil Burrow	....	sound editor
Scott Burrow	....	sound editor
Teri E. Dorman	....	sound editor
Jay Engel	....	adr editor
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joseph Geisinger	....	cable person
Dee Dee Goetz	....	assistant sound editor
Ron Harris	....	adr mixer
Robert G. Henderson	....	supervising sound editor
David M. Horton	....	sound editor (as D. Michael Horton)
Bruce Lacey	....	sound editor
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Bill Nelson	....	sound mixer (as William Nelson)
Richard Oswald	....	sound editor
Vern Poore	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jules Strasser	....	boom operator
Brooke H. Ward	....	assistant sound editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects

Stunts
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt coordinator (as Wayne Van Horn)
Tom Ellison	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Orrison	....	stunt double: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward A. Ayer	....	best boy (as Ed Ayer)
Kirk Bales	....	dolly grip (as Kirk E. Bales)
Mike Chevalier	....	additional camera operator (as Michael Chevalier)
Danny Falkengren	....	second grip (as Dan Falkengren)
Buzz Feitshans IV	....	assistant camera: second unit
Bill Foley	....	camera loader
Christopher Dunn George	....	assistant camera (as Christopher George)
Jeff Gershman	....	assistant camera: second unit
Larry Hezzelwood	....	assistant camera: second unit
Cindy Kurland	....	assistant camera
Marcia Reed	....	still photographer
Douglas Ryan	....	additional camera operator (as Doug Ryan)
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
Marc Staton	....	assistant camera
Baird Steptoe	....	assistant camera
Tom Stern	....	gaffer
Stephen St. John	....	camera operator
Peter N. Green	....	camera department intern (uncredited)

Casting Department
Christopher Gorman	....	casting assistant
Phyllis Huffman	....	casting executive
Tina Real	....	extras casting: local (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons	....	wardrobe: men (as Darryl Athons)
Deborah Hopper	....	wardrobe: women (as Deborah Ann Hopper)
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Michael Cipriano	....	assistant editor
Jack Garsha	....	color timer

Music Department
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer (as Bobby Fernandez)
Donald Harris	....	music editor
Desmond Nakano	....	composer: song "I Love You But I Ain't Stupid"
Lennie Niehaus	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Keith Dillin	....	transportation coordinator
Jack Grant	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Marco Barla	....	unit publicist
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
Judie Hoyt	....	assistant to producer
Linda Sony Kinney	....	production secretary
Cindy Lasher	....	first aid (as Cynthia Lasher)
Michael Maurer	....	assistant to producer
Michael Maurer	....	auditor
Lloyd Nelson	....	script supervisor
Russell Appling	....	military liaison (uncredited)
Russell Appling	....	production assistant (uncredited)
James D. Dever	....	technical advisor: military (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jay Weston Productions (in association with)
• Malpaso Company, The

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1990) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Pacific Title  titles
• Pacific Titles & Optical  opticals
• Tony's Food Service  catering

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:R | USA:R (certificate #28415) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1986) | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Jay Weston Productions

Trivia:

The sequence involving the bulldozer is based on a real event. The officer who actually did what Eastwood portrays was John Abizaid, at the time a Captain and a Ranger Company Commander. Abizaid recently retired as the Commander In Chief of Central Command, in charge of all U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the Middle East.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While chastising GySgt Highway on his altering of the ambush plan, Maj Powers mentions that the men belong to the 2d Marine Division, 8th Marine Regiment. 2d Reconnaissance Battalion has never been a subordinate unit of 8th Marine Regiment. This supports the notion that perhaps the goof is in Highway's assignment to 2d Reconnaissance Battalion.

Quotes:

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I want this battalion to be the class of the division. I expect my non-commissioned officers to lead by example. Public fighting and insubordination to civilian authority are not what I call good standards!
Highway: It was a minor altercation, sir.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: That seems to be a habit with you, Gunny! A year ago you hit an officer. I went to Annapolis with that man. You try that with me, Gunnery Sergeant Highway and you'll drag your butt in a sling for a month, you hear me, marine?
Highway: Yes, sir.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I don't know what strings you pulled to get back into this division but I can assure you that I don't like it. This is the new Marine Corps. The new breed. Characters like you are an anachronism. You should be sealed in a case that reads break glass only in the event of war. Got no tolerance for you old timers who think that you know it better and can have it all your own way. Understand?
Highway: I understand a lot of body bags get filled if I don't go my job, sir.
Choozoo: Major, division has assigned Gunny Highway to our reconisance platoon.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, recon. Their last sergeant was an old time combat vet, too. But he went road on me. Retired on active duty. Had a few months to retirement. Figured he'd coast. Allowed the men to lapse into mediocrity. You're close to mandatory retirement yourself, aren't you, Highway?
Highway: That's right, Major.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Well, I ask for Marines, the division sends me relics. The men in recon platoon are less than highly motivated to say the least. I want those men in shape.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.57)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Bionic Marine

Action and comedy in a military setting

This is an enjoyable, if somewhat cartoonish, adventure. Eastwood plays Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway, a career United States Marine who won the Medal of Honor at Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. As he approaches retirement, Gunny Highway takes on the task of transforming a bunch of misfits into a tough Reconnaissance Platoon in time for the 1983 invasion of Granada. The film is uneven, with some moments that are brilliant and others that are embarrassingly bad. The film does not contain an accurate portrayal of Marine Recon, but it does deliver excitement and a good dose of humor. Besides, Clint Eastwood as a salty old Gunny is something that had to happen!